“I’m thankful for the opportunity,” VC said about coming back to Jersey. “As difficult as it was the past two years, I tried to lay it on the line. We were picked last in the East for the two years, and I think I tried to make that not happen.”

OK, no medals for that.

But gets verklempt when he talks about Stage 2 of the three-stage rocket that his career represents. Jersey, after all, did as much for him as he did for the Nets.

“It was a good feeling that the fans were not happy to see me traded,” VC said. “I see some of the encouraging letters through my website. My basketball camp there (in August) was very emotional, seeing the kids and parents. It was an emotional time.”

Yes, he told Brian that he expects a warm reception at Izod. You can bet the house on that. He already got one from Rod Thorn, sort of. Thorn sent him a text message just the other day “wishing me well, except when we play against them.”

Just the same, Thorn did him a favor four months ago, and VC is the first to admit it.

“You're not surprised; it's a business,” he said of the draft night trade. “But it doesn't always work out like this, going to a great team.”

* * * *

What will VC see out of Senor Pez Friday night?

For starters, we can safely predict that Lopez won’t get 27-15-5 against Dwight Howard.

But we can say he’ll do a better job dealing with double-teams.

The Timberwolves started getting such good results swarming the kid, they were even doubling him out on the perimeter. You don’t see many bigs get that kind of treatment – Gasol, maybe.

“It’s definitely a compliment,” Lopez said.

Don’t stand around too long admiring their admiration, Big Fella. Those four turnovers were excruciating – especially the back-to-back flubs that got the game from eight to four with four minutes left.

Sometime tells us we know what L-Frank will be working on at Thursday’s practice.

“It’s all a learning process. He’s never seen any constant double-team, (not even) when he’s playing so well,” Devin Harris said. “We’re getting the ball in great spots, but it’s something he’s going to have to learn how to do. It’s partly on us to get to the right spots so he could find us. But just being comfortable in that situation and learning how to accept the double-team is something we have to get better at as a team.”

* * * *

We’re not trying to turn this into a competition or a regular second-guess, but it’s worth charting, because the coach is 0-for-1.

You know what we’re talking about -- five minutes left, tight game, and L-Frank wants to get Yi in the game: Which wing does he yank from the stage next time?

Last night, it was T-Will.

Wrong guy, obviously.

Frank, who pushed every button with precision for those first 42 minutes, probably isn’t kicking himself. But he has to admit that for all the lip service he’s given to intensity and competitiveness, he had no business pulling his most intense and competitive guy at that point.

And CDR and Lee proved that much, by completely disappearing (one shot, zero points combined) in the last 6:51.